Statue of Dr. Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs (1854–1929): Physician, Activist, and an Inspiration

Dr Aletta Henriette Jacobs (9 February 1854 to 10 August 1929) was a Dutch physician and advocate of modern-day women's rights, being among the first female clinicians and to formally enrol at a Dutch university. She bolstered the Dutch and international women's movements and pioneered as the first woman to develop a clinic based on contraceptive principles in 1882 internationally. Her legacy has become paramount in the progression of modern-day feminism, where her vigour for equality and diversity has stipulated campaigns to demand women's voting rights, deregulate acts of prostitution, improve working conditions for women, and promote world peace through her work.

A beautifully carved sculpture of Dr. Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs elegantly graces the entrance to the Faculty of Arts Building in Groningen.Her statue serves to immortalize her pivotal contributions towards furthering the cause of health equality and justice, in many ways, forming the foundation towards tackling the patriarchal institutions that unfortunately crippled Europe throughout the early 19th century (Figure 1).

A tumultuous beginning
Born to Abraham Jacobs and Anna de Jongh in Sappemeer, young Aletta demonstrated an early interest in medicine.Her father, who was a physician, was her idol. 1 Unfortunately, much of the early 19th century saw very few educational opportunities for women in particular.For much of her youth, Aletta mostly stayed at home, where she indulged in learning French, German, Greek and Latin. 2 Undoubtedly, Aletta was born during a time in which educational opportunities were severely restricted for women.Despite what seemed like a plethora of unsurmountable barriers, young Aletta's zeal for education meant that she would relentlessly rebel against societal norms to ensure that she was allowed to further her studies, just like her male peers were allowed to.Women were exclusively barred from higher education at the time. 3When Aletta learnt of this, she wrote to the director of Rijks Hogere Burgerschool, questioning the decision; and after relentless pursuit, she was allowed to attend high school, making her one of the only female students.After graduating, she then began to prepare for university; despite knowing that women were barred from university, she prepared for and successfully passed her entry examinations.She wrote to the Council of Ministers, requesting exclusive permission to attend university, which was provisionally granted, after a series of back-and-forth arguments.This would make Aletta the first female student at a Dutch University, the first woman to then obtain a doctorate in the Netherlands, and consequently upon graduation, the first female physician in the Netherlands. 4

Contributions to women's health
Dr. Jacobs' took a note of how women at the time were severely disadvantaged, particularly when it came to accessing healthcare.Her network comprised of like-minded activists, including Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (the first female physician in England), who shared the common aim of advancing gender equality. 5She set up her private practice in Amsterdam; staffed exclusively by women, for women.Of particular note, she grew increasingly concerned about the lack of public-health awareness amongst women, for which she ran weekly educational sessions.She also established the first birth-control centre in the Netherlands; with the intention of combatting the growing number of unplanned pregnancies and rising rates of sexually transmitted infections.Dr. Jacobs also conducted the first contraception based clinical trial, assessing the impact of diaphragms; and would consequently strive to introduce contraception to Dutch women. 6 advocate for equality Dr. Jacobs' efforts were not only limited to the sphere of health; in addition, she worked relentlessly to advance the status of women in society.By many, she was considered a radical.Dr. Jacobs was one of the founders of the Vereeniging voor Vrouwenkiesrecht, a society established to advocate for universal suffrage. 7In addition, she is known for literary pieces on women's economic independence, suffrage, political representation, and the legalization of prostitution, as well as translations of world-renowned feminist publications into Dutch.She also regularly attended equality and diversity themed conferences across Europe, furthering her message to the wider audience. 8Through this, Aletta was able to appeal to the conscience and thought of many, and spark the idea of a society based on merit and equality for all.

Leaving behind a legacy
A true proponent of women's equality in many regards, Dr. Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs passed away on the 10 th of August 1929, aged 75.Her legacy remains a testament to her efforts and continues to inspire many till date.

Declaration of conflicting interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.Carved by Theresia van der Pant in 1988, it aims to serve as an everlasting testament to Dr. Aletta's contribution to furthering women's health and suffrage.Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons. 9he statue of Susan La Flesche Picotte (1865-1915): A pioneer of Native American public health Mahnoor Javed 1 and Hareesha Rishab Bharadwaj2 An elegantly sculpted statue of Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte graces the heart of Lincoln Nebraska's Centennial Mall, serving as an eternal testament to her life's essence; an everlasting memoir of her efforts in advocating and bettering not only the health and safety of Native Americans, but also avidly advocating for their human rights (Figure 1). 1 Born in 1865 in the Omaha Reservation, Dr Picotte strived to pursue her dream of becoming a physician despite the multiple barriers she faced.One of her more prominent quotes denote 'it has always been a desire of mine to study medicine ever since I was a small girl for even then I saw the needs of my people for a good physician'. 2 With a generous grant from the Connecticut branch of the Women's National Indian Association, she was able to pursue a medicine degree at the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, where she learnt and excelled in anatomy, physiology, histology, therapeutics and obstetrics.Upon graduation, she promptly returned to the Omaha Reservation, where she was appointed as a government physician, placing her in charge of the health and wellbeing of 1244 Omahans. 3 With her jurisdiction spanning 30 by 40 miles, Dr Picotte often travelled by a hired buggy, navigating through the notorious Nebraskan heat and dangerous Nebraskan thunderstorms to access her patients.During her practice, she noted how the unsanitary living environment compounded a range of illnesses among the Omahans, especially conjunctivitis.This prompted her to partially pivot into a career of public health education, during which she educated Omahans on the importance of hygiene and the evils of alcohol abuse.She went on to create a sanatorium for victims of

Figure 1 .
Figure 1.Statue of Dr. Aletta Jacobs in Groningen, Netherlands.Carved by Theresia van der Pant in 1988, it aims to serve as an everlasting testament to Dr. Aletta's contribution to furthering women's health and suffrage.Image courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.9